1. Define “Fact”

It is hard to believe what some people think is a fact. Maybe you believe in it so much you think it to be that concrete, but I can firmly believe my older brother is a goat.........Nope, he’s still human. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, sure, but come on.........

2. Contrary to Popular Belief, The More You Write About Something, the Less We Care

Drawing upon the psychology of soccer mom’s, if continuous exposure to Grand Theft Auto will turn you into thief, then continued exposure to rants and raves about the war, or Republicans saving the world, will either turn us into terrorists or Democrats.

3. There Are Some Opinions That Really Don’t Need to Be Shared (Unless You’d Like to Be Mercilessly Mocked For the Rest of Your Days)

If you have a very strong opinion on something mundane, I really don’t care. If you are pro-school uniforms, just keep your mouth shut. If you really feel the need for gender-specific schools, seek psychiatric help.

4. Perhaps Religion and Politics Should Still Be Taboo

Democrats versus Republicans and desperate appeals to “Find Jesus,” probably are just going to end up as lining for a hamster cage. To be perfectly honest, I’m not going to change my religious affiliations or my political party simply because some over-enthusiastic zealot tells me too. And quite frankly, anyone who would, probably wouldn’t be the best addition to your cause.

5. It’s Good to Rock the Boat, But Don’t Tip It Over

Now, while, having an opinion in an editorial is crucial, there really is no need for name calling or blatantly offensive phrasing. You can, and should, be strong in your convictions, and it’s okay to obliterate your opponent, but make sure it’s just their ideas your insulting. I’m sick of hearing opinion pieces that degrade and demean types of people, or the people who believe something. It’s the idea you have a problem with, not the specific person. If I wanted to hear abuse, cruelty, or offensive language, I’d turn on MTV.

Now if we’d follow all of those five rules, we wouldn’t have infuriating opinion articles. In fact, we wouldn’t have opinion articles at all.

If no one claimed something as fact, we couldn’t be sure about anything.

If no one wrote more than one thing on a topic, we’d probably never hear about it.

Crazy and unorthodox opinions have changed the world - Why would we stop sharing them now?

If we couldn’t debate about religion or politics, what could we debate about?

Sometimes, to fully get your point across, it’s necessary for everyone to get a little wet- or completely soaked. And if a fall from a boat is necessary to accomplish that, well then, so be it.

So the point I’m trying to get across it, opinion sections are suppose to make you mad. They are designed to make your blood boil, make that one vein in your forehead stand out. One glance at the hapless arguments and vicious disagreements in the paper is supposed to ruin your entire morning. It’s the way it has to be. Anything and everything is, and should be, open to debate and interpretation. We should exercise that right by writing and defending what we believe in, regardless of science, logic, peer pressure, or top five lists.